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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: swing · face · wax · mine · rock · stick · field · cue

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. rock — a stone
  4. cue — a hint
  5. mine — for digging
  6. face — to point toward
  7. swing — in golf
  8. face — to confront
  9. swing — music
  10. wax — to grow
  11. cue — a signal
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. face — part of the head
  18. rock — music
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — for sport
  21. field — a subject
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. swing — to play on
  24. cue — for pool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com